thenearshore | 006 | High School Debut

Entry tags:

006 | High School Debut

Who: Everyone!
What: Substitute teaching
When: All day April 5
Where: A large public school in Tokyo
Summary: There are too many teachers sick and the Far Shore residents need to help fill in!

For some reason or another, many teachers have gotten sick just as the new school year is starting! In a panic, the school is seeking out every substitute teacher they can find, which is still not enough, and so the gods have to step in as reinforcements. And the Heavens are insisting on Far Shore residents helping strictly because this sickness seems so darn suspicious.

So anyone who looks old enough is being asked to step in as a substitute teacher and anyone who looks young enough is being asked to blend in as a new student, all to help the school and find out what exactly is causing this mysterious illness plaguing only the teachers of this school. There are many subjects open to teach and all Far Shore residents are expected to act as if they properly belong in this school while conducting their investigation. That means you'll have to teach properly or attend classes, depending on which role you've taken on.

Some gods might even find it useful to try and get information out of students by possessing one of their own, therefore guaranteeing the trust of the others around them. It's all up to you how you choose to investigate!

Newcomers will find the following note in their pockets as they are transferred to the school:

Greetings and apologies for the strange introduction.

I am sure you have many questions and concerns, but you have appeared at a very inconvenient time. Please attempt to help us, if you can, and we will reward you to the best of our abilities.

If you have any questions, you can seek out the counselor. Too many students underestimate what a good counselling session can do towards helping to alleviate their fears and uncertainties.

Kindest regards,
☼ Amaterasu ☼

Classes

Being a big school, there are dozens of different subjects available. As teachers, you can practically teach anything you would like to, and as students you are facing a constant stream of completely different kinds of information. Maybe the school needs to tone it down a bit on how many different subjects they offer...

Hallways

The hallways are always a great place to mingle and get to know the other students in the school. You'll see all sorts in the hallways, ranging from the beautiful girls being followed by their fanboys all the way to the delinquents who are promptly making their way away from the classrooms for the rest of the day. Hopefully somebody around here will be able to give you a heads up as to what's going on.

Lunch

Lunchtime is the easiest time to gather gossip and information. Whether you are staying in the classroom with a bento or heading to the cafeteria to wrestle for some bread or spending your lunch in the faculty room with the rest of the not-sick teachers, you will find that both the students and the faculty are more prone to chatting during lunch. And a lot of them talk about a curse laid on the school because of the late principal...

Counselling

Surprisingly enough, there is a white-robed shinki in the counselling office of the school, and the golden chrysanthemum of Amaterasu can be found on her tunic as well as on the door to her small personal office. Oddly, all of the other students and faculty keep passing the door by, but the counselling shinki simply continues to smile gently all the same.

FINAL BOSS

Turns out there is something causing the illness in the teachers, and it's an exceedingly large ayakashi, one so large that no single god could possibly take it down. You'll have to all work together to weaken it enough for the rending to work on it.

The battle for the FINAL BOSS will be posted on the OOC date of July 17, all threads involving destroying him should go there when it is posted. All other events leading up to the FINAL BOSS battle should slowly build to figuring out that an ayakashi is at work.

In Summary:

Blend in
Make sure to go to class
Don't forget lunch!
Investigate the illness
Seek counselling if you need it
Defeat the FINAL BOSS
Have fun~

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[Hakkai, in a slightly shabby but meticulously clean collared shirt and tie with a pile of grading on his desk, doesn't look out of place at all in the teacher's room; well, except for the monocle glinting through his bangs, which is an unusual enough style choice for the modern age, and the fact that he's still quite visibly Cho Hakkai.

He pauses mid-tap of his red pen against his lower lip and glances up as someone with a cup of coffee stops next to his desk.]

Ah, hello. Can I help you?

[ Ukoku's in a similar kind of shirt, except it's a nice tacky dinosaur print. He's a real teacher!

He leans over Hakkai's papers, kind of space-invasive, sipping his coffee. ]

Oh! You're really grading. That's so diligent of you.

Why, yes. After all, if we're here to help out the faculty, it's the least I can do.

[He's also cleaned the desk of the math teacher he's substituting for and is considering alphabetizing her files, but only if they don't manage to solve the school's problem today; redoing a filing system will be a larger job than just cleaning up paperwork.]

I take it you're here to teach as well?

[And disrespect others' personal space, apparently. Hakkai will let it go... for now. The man just seems to be leaning a little too close, not doing anything inappropriate with the closeness, which puts him one or two points up on Niles already.]

[ He invites himself to pull up a chair and sit down, but at least that means he's back in his own bubble (it just happens to be a small bubble). ]

Yes, chemistry! It's kind of exciting; it's been so many years since I was a student. I've gotten so many adorable questions. The regular teacher seems to be a little behind.

[ There's a cheerful, subtle kind of sarcasm in a little. ]

Edited 2016-07-18 19:27 (UTC)

Ha ha, what a shame! I'm sure that your efforts will be appreciated when they return.

[Hakkai lays a very lightly sarcastic emphasis on sure back at the other man: it'll be good for the regular teachers to have their students asking them challenging questions when they're back at their job, won't it? They might not appreciate it, but it will be good for them nonetheless.]

Cho Hakkai. And you are...?

Ni Jianyi. Pleased to meet you.

[ Was that so hard, children? At least one of the three has manners.

He pauses suddenly, head tilted, as if something's caught his eye—the ear cuffs. ]

Oh, I see; they're not real. I like them!

[ He points to his own ear by way of explanation. ]

Likewise. [Hakkai's hand goes reflexively to his ear, feeling the cold metal under his fingers. He's not sure what those cuffs mean, other than that they're marked with the same pattern as the blade of his weapon form: it's something that has meaning. Apparently. He's found himself reluctant to touch them, and especially to take them off. Luckily, they're unobtrusive.

'Not real,' though --]

... Well, they're not pierced, at least. Thank you.

[He lets his hand fall, smiling with professional distance.]

I don't believe I've seen you around. You must be new to this job?

Brand new today! The welcome is a little confusing; I have to wonder if they've ever gotten any responses they weren't looking for. I'd think being forced into a role might engender bitterness in some people.

[ He sounds no less upbeat about any of this, even so. Bring on the bitterness. ]

I've certainly heard a few complaints. It's a waste of time, unfortunately! Heaven doesn't seem interested in hearing about anyone's preferences.

[Hakkai marks off a few wrong answers and glances up, raising his eyebrows with a deliberately mild expression.]

But then, I'm sure that's the usual experience.

[ Ukoku shoots him an equally mild glance. Is he actually fishing? Good boy. ]

As opposed to the unusual? [ He shakes his coffee cup and frowns when it doesn't make a sound. ] Well, probably. I don't mind any of this, myself, but I will miss chess.

Chess? I'm sure you can find someone to play.

[That's an interesting dodge, isn't it? 'As opposed to the unusual'... Hakkai tilts his head politely in the direction of the little closet-sized kitchen off the staff room that has all of the hot water and coffee-making equipment in it.]

This entire experience seems unusual. If you're looking for more coffee, the pot is over there.

[ But that would require walking away, and he's not done yet. ]

Yes, it is. [ He crumples up the cup and chucks it into the nearest trash/recycling bin. He's not picky. ] God or shinki? [ It's as casual as it possibly could be; he's not even looking at Hakkai. ]

[It's the perfectly casual attitude that sets off warning bells. After all, most people ask that question, but most people ask it as though it matters. There is something strange about the combination of asking it, and asking it with that perfect, casual, not-even-looking air, because those who wouldn't care simply wouldn't ask.

Hakkai jots down a 79% on the quiz he's grading and smiles at Ukoku with unconcern carefully pitched to match his.]

Does it matter?

Not really.

[ Only from a minor logistical standpoint. ]

I was told that shinki are the dead, but there's no real difference, is there? We're all dead here.

[ His tone is light. He pauses, frowning at the ceiling. ]

Well, I suppose there is the autonomy problem.

Oh, that's something you might want to keep in mind! Just as gods have certain powers shinki don't, shinki have certain powers that gods don't, either.

Let's see, though, I wouldn't say we're all dead. We just aren't living.

[If you pass into immortality without the death of your body, are you dead? It sounds like an attempt at a koan, Hakkai thinks, a flicker of amusement barely visible in his eyes.

And -- since he's said it multiple times on the bulletin board, and it's not in fact a secret -- he adds helpfully:]

Shinki of Menrva.

Ah, thank you! God of nothing. [ He bows his head a little. Pleased to meet you again! ]

It's too bad you all have to pay such a high price for the privilege of being turned into objects. It doesn't seem fair.

Oh, I suppose you could look at it that way if you prefer to.

[Hakkai blinks guilelessly at him. What an interesting way to phrase it. His poor shinki.]

Who is your shinki?

[ Ukoku digs some small thing out of his pocket—a rubber band. He stretches it over his thumb and pops it at the wall as he speaks. ]

I don't think I have one. They must be in short supply. [ He catches it and starts again. ] Oh well.

Is that so? My, my.

[All the better for them.]

You'll have to be careful!

Do you think so?

[ He shoots Hakkai an innocent glance, the mildest concern. ]

Well, I guess you'd know better than me. I'll keep that in mind.

[ He stuffs the rubber band back in his pocket and starts for the door, raising his hand just enough for a lazy wave. ]

Thanks for the warning! Good luck with your students.

And you! Please warn us if they're about to set anything too large on fire.

[Hakkai waves back, beaming a little too brightly.

That was... very interesting. He's going to have to keep an eye on that man. Hakkai has no idea yet what it might be that he's hiding, but he's very intelligent, and he pushes for information in ways that are just subtle enough to suggest he's deliberately concealing his interests.

A potential ally? Enemy? Regardless, Hakkai thinks, a concern.

For tomorrow.]

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006 | High School Debut

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